Survive the Heat Apocalypse! (3)

Should I open the door or not?

I hesitated for a moment, then put on the safety chain and cracked the door open.

"Is there something you need?" I asked.

The man gestured to the item in his hand. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was an ice cream bar.

"I just called the property management. They said it would take another half an hour. You must be feeling really hot, right? Here’s an ice cream to help you cool down. I have plenty more. If you get too hot, feel free to come and get more from me."

His voice was surprisingly pleasant.

"Thanks, but I'm okay," I replied.

Perhaps noticing my cautiousness, he didn’t say anything further. He just placed the ice cream bar on the rack by my door and turned to leave.

I watched through the cracked door as he walked past two safety doors and reentered his apartment, closing the door behind him.

Maybe… he really is a good person? Ice cream is a rare commodity in this heat.

I opened the door fully, picked up the ice cream, and after thinking for a moment, wrapped it in two plastic bags before placing it in my freezer. I then grabbed another ice cream bar to eat.

This would be the last one I eat for now; I didn’t want the freezer to lose its cold air.

It’s really hot…

About 20 minutes later, I was lying on the floor, spread-eagle, panting like a dog.

It was unbearably hot, but I didn’t dare open the windows, fearing the outside might be even hotter.

46 degrees Celsius…

Wait…

15:38 - Update Successful

My eyes widened as I looked at the freshly updated temperature reading on my phone, almost gasping in disbelief.

48 degrees, it had reached 48 degrees Celsius!

This can’t be right. I must be mistaken!

I pressed my finger against the screen, swiping down to refresh it again.

15:39 - Update Successful

15:39 - Update Successful

15:39 - Update Successful

Three consecutive times, it still showed 48 degrees. Then suddenly, the screen displayed a 404 error.

I tried going back to check the weather app again, but the phone indicated that the network was down, with a red exclamation mark appearing on the screen.

I tried turning the phone off and on again, only to see that both of my phone numbers had lost signal.

It wasn’t just the network that was down; I had lost all communication on my phone.

The temperature around me kept rising, and I felt like the room was reaching 40 degrees. Every breath I took was filled with hot air, making it feel as though I was on the verge of suffocating.

I rushed to the door, grabbed the intercom, and pressed the button to connect with the property management.

Beeeeep... Beeeeep... Beeeeep...

No one answered for a long time. Had even the property management stopped functioning?

Heat and fear filled my heart instantly. The room was completely silent except for the sound of my own breathing. The soundproofing was so good that I couldn’t hear anything other than myself.

It was as if I was on an isolated island.

"Calm down, Su Qingqing, you need to stay calm," I muttered to myself as I walked to the freezer, yanked it open, and pulled out a frozen duck, hugging it to my chest.

This duck had been in the freezer for a few months, frozen solid through and through. It provided some much-needed coolness and helped me regain some composure. I started thinking about what I would do if I got heatstroke alone in the house.

Heatstroke… for heatstroke, I’d need…

Right, Huo Xiang Zheng Qi (a traditional Chinese medicine for treating heatstroke).

I opened the medicine box, chugged a bottle of Huo Xiang Zheng Qi in one go, and then grabbed some cooling oil, applying it to my forehead, neck, underarms, and other areas to help cool down. I then went to the bedroom, grabbed a blanket, soaked it in a large basin of water in the bathroom, and draped it over myself.

I had done everything I could. I ate another ice cream while continuously checking the clock on the wall, regretting not having bought an electronic clock with a thermometer. I had no idea what the current room temperature was.

But even if I knew, there was nothing I could do about it.

Beeeeep...

I don't know how much time had passed—maybe a few minutes, maybe half an hour—when the intercom at the door suddenly buzzed.

I turned my head so quickly I almost twisted my neck.

"Attention… cough cough… attention, residents. Our city is currently facing an extreme heat disaster. The solar panels in our community have been damaged by the sun, and we are unable to restore power at the moment. Residents can temporarily take shelter in the underground parking lot. The temperature on the first basement level is currently 39.8 degrees, and the second basement level is 38 degrees…”

Of course! The underground parking lot—how could I have forgotten!

I was about to rush out the door but paused to grab a backpack, swap out the frozen duck for another, and packed all the cooling oil and Huo Xiang Zheng Qi in it. I also stuffed in two loaves of bread and three bottles of water, soaked the blanket again, and finally opened the door.

Just as I opened my door, my neighbor’s door also opened. My neighbor, carrying a large backpack, stepped out.

What a coincidence—every time I’ve opened the door since the heatwave started, I’ve seen him, someone I’d never run into before.

“Come with me. My car’s tank is full,” he said, walking straight toward me.

Instinctively, I took a step back.

Since my divorce, I’ve been wary of the men around me, always habitually afraid.

“Sorry, I don’t mean any harm. You probably have a car too. We can sit in my car with the AC on, and if my gas runs out, we can switch to yours. That way, we can stretch it out longer.”

He looked me in the eye, seeming somewhat at a loss.

There was a window in the hallway, and the sunlight streaming in made it even hotter than inside the apartment. The air I was breathing was scorching, and even my vision was starting to blur.

I took a few deep breaths, grabbed my car keys from the door, and shut it behind me.

“Alright, let’s go!”

In a natural disaster like this, no one could survive alone. Teaming up was the only way. I had no choice but to agree.

My neighbor walked ahead of me and opened the stairwell door. A wave of cool air instantly hit me.

The 16th floor—no one usually takes the stairs here.

But because the stairwell wasn’t well-ventilated, it’s usually stifling hot. Surprisingly, it was quite cool today, so the basement must be even more comfortable.

The desire for cooler air made me quicken my pace.

Soon, I heard the echo of footsteps in the stairwell, interspersed with cursing and the sound of children crying. It seemed the other residents had also heard the property management’s announcement and come out.

As we passed the 5th floor, I saw an elderly man with graying hair sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall. He didn’t react as people passed by.

“Sir, are you okay?” I asked, stopping to check on him.

“My legs aren’t working—I can’t walk. Don’t worry about me, just keep going,” the old man replied.

I hesitated for a moment. My neighbor had already reached the landing but turned back when he heard me talking to the old man.

“How about we help you down?” I suggested.

“No need, just go!” the old man snapped, his eyes flashing with anger.

Startled, I quickly continued down the stairs. My neighbor caught up to me by the time we reached the 3rd floor, unzipping his backpack as we walked.

“I left him a bottle of water. Life and death are beyond our control,” he said, his deep voice trembling slightly.